Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Week Ahead ….And the End of a Barracks Row Eyesore

by Larry Janezich

425 8th Street will soon house a Bank of America ATM

The crumbling façade of 425 8^th Street – a long vacant eyesore on Barracks Row whose last occupant was a retail jewelry store – is getting a face lift and interior renovation.  In about two weeks, it will be the location of a Bank of America ATM.  Perhaps not ideal for residents  anxious for retail on 8^th Street, but certainly an improvement.  425 8^th is located between the Verizon store and DC – 3 – across the street from the Fire Station.

The Week Ahead…..

Monday, February 3

Mayor Gray will attend the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of the newly renovated Northeast Library at 10:00am, 330 7th Street, SE.  The Library has been closed for 16 months for a $10 million renovation.

Monday, February 3

CHRS Historic Preservation Committee meets at 6:30pm, Kirby House, 420 10^th Street, SE.

Tuesday, February 4

ANC6b Planning and Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm at St Coletta of Greater Washington, 19^th and Independence Ave SE.

On the agenda:

Request for a zoning variance from parking space size requirements for a new apartment building at 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Request for a public space permit for an unenclosed sidewalk café for District Taco

Wednesday, February 5

ABC6B Transportation Committee meets at 6:30pm in Hill Center.

On the agenda:

Discussion of FY14 Performance Parking Fund and possible projects.

Discussion of proposals for Vendor Parking During Hine Constructeion

Discussion of DDOT oversight hearing.

Thursday, February 6

Joint meeting of ANC6B ABC Committee and Outreach & Constituent Services Task Force on at 7:00 pm in Hill Center.

On the agenda:

Testimony for Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration oversight hearing

Additional DC Council oversight hearing testimony

Input on Mayor Gray’s FY15 budget priorities

Rat abatement on Eastern Market Metro Plaza

Thursday, February 6

PSA 107 meets at 7:00pm, location TBA owning to temporary closure of Southeast Library.

Sona – at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Co-owner Conan O’Sullivan (in window) thanks customers.

An assortment of cheeses welcomes customers as they enter.

Sona’s interior – mid-afternoon on Friday. Click to enlarge.

Another angle shows the bar at the rear.

Inside looking out.

Sona Creamery and Wine Bar Opens at Eastern Market

by Larry Janezich

Sona Creamery and Wine Bar at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, will open for its first day of normal business hours (11:00am – 11:00pm) on Saturday, February 1.  The new food venue has been open 3:00pm to 10:00pm since Wednesday.  Co-owner Conan O’Sullivan says that they will plunge into a full day’s schedule on Saturday as a test run for normal business hours seven days a week starting next Wednesday.

(The outlet will be closed this Sunday, February 2, to assess Saturday’s operation and open 3:00pm – 10:00pm on next Monday and Tuesday.)

Every week, Sona’s cheese mongers – headed up by Katie Carter (rated by the American Cheese Society as the third-rated cheese monger in the country) – will pick ten cheeses at the peak of ripeness from the 150 – 250 styles of cheese available.  The cheeses are featured on the menu (see below) from less to most pungent.  O’Sullivan says that other menu items will be limited until the restaurant’s kitchen tests its production capacity and develops a “feel for the neighborhood’s palette.”  These cafe items “From the Chef” are listed on the menu according to size, starting with small plates and progressing to entrée size.  A boutique selection of Pacific Northwest wines will be offered, ranging in price from $6.00 to $16.00 a glass.  Imported sparkling wines as well as beer and organic non-alcoholic sodas will be available.

The outlet – founded by owners Conan and Genevieve O’Sullivan – was inspired by similar Seattle operations and will feature the District’s only onsite creamery.  Complementing its production and aging of a variety of cheeses, the restaurant will have an education component offering opportunities to learn about cheese and wine in the café, at classes, and exclusive tasting events.

Their website can be found at http://sonacreamery.com/

The cheese and beverage menus. Click to enlarge.

The cafe menu.

The Week Ahead…..ANC6B Meets on CSX and Historic Preservation Issues

By Larry Janezich

Monday, January 27

ANC6A Community Outreach Committee meets at 7:00pm at Maury Elementary multi-purpose room, 1250 Constitution Avenue, NE.

On the agenda:

Review of grant applications: Eliot-Hine Middle School PTO (aquarium), Maury Elementary School (art supplies), P’Tones (music program)

Tuesday, January 28

ANC6B Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 28, 2014, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 29, 2014.

, at 7:00 PM, in the Frager’s Hardware Conference Room, on the third floor of the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

Wednesday, January 29

ANC6B Executive Committee will meet at 7:00pm in Hill Center to set the agenda for the February ANC6B meeting.

ANC 6B has scheduled a special call meeting at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, January 29, 2014, in Hill Center immediately following the Executive Committee meeting.  At the special call meeting, ANC 6B will consider comments on the draft Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Virginia Avenue Tunnel Reconstruction project.  The MOA concerns the agreement between CSX and the community regarding historic preservation and archaeology issues during the reconstruction of the tunnel.  (See more on CSX below.)

Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meets at 7:00pm in the North Hall at Eastern Market.

End Notes:

Monday, February 3

Northeast Library will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00am to mark the reopening of the newly renovated Northeast Library as 330 7^th Street, NE.  All are invited.   Southeast Library remains closed until February 18 for repairs to the water system.  Books on loan due to be returned during this period can be returned to any DC Library

DC Recycler Blog reports DC residents will be getting new and larger garbage and recycling bins starting in February.  http://dcrecycler.blogspot.com/

More on CSX

ANC 6B04 Commissioner Kirsten Oldenburg has posted two lengthy reports on the CSX issue on her blog:  “Norton Meets on CSX VAT. Again”, and “CSX VAT Opposition Misinforms?”

The text of both postings can be found here:  http://www.kirsten6b.org/

Excerpts from her conclusion on the meeting on CSX last Saturday hosted by Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton are as follows:

“Conclusions:  …I conclude that the subject matter has now been so muddled, the opponents so radicalized, and their distrust of project proponents and study leadership so heightened that the Final EIS–no matter what it says–will be “dead upon arrival.”  (At the Norton meeting, opponents were already asking for a “supplemental” FEIS.)  …

I think all that can possibly be said about this proposed tunnel reconstruction is out there in the public domain.  My hope is that the FEIS is released before we have anymore public meetings hosted by political leaders.  DDOT/FHWA would only say, when Ms Norton asked about timing of its release, that they are “still working on the FEIS”.  Maybe they should wait to release the document on April 2 when the first phase of the 2014 DC election campaign season will be over.”

The Week Ahead…..Medium Rare on Barracks Row Scheduled to Open

Monday, January 20

Martin Luther King Holiday.  Government offices – including ANC offices – closed.  Trash pick up will occur one day late for the rest of the week.

Medium Rare at 515 8^th Street on Barracks Row is scheduled to open.  See CHC posting here: http://bit.ly/1dXo8Ki and their website here:  http://www.mediumrarerestaurant.com/

Tuesday, January 21

ANC6A ABC Committee meets at 7:00pm, Sherwood Recreation Center at 10^th and G Streets, NE.

Among items on the agenda:

Update on status of XII, Ben’s Chili Bowl, and Cusbah protest hearings.

Discussion of new license application for Sin Bin Sports Bar & Restaurant at 1336 H Street NE

Discussion of proposed addendum to Sahra Settlement Agreement and dismissal of ANC 6A’s protest of Sahra’s license renewal.

Tuesday, January 21

Southeast Library closed from today until February 18 for repairs to the water system.  Books on loan due to be returned during this period can be returned to any DC Library (Northeast Library reopens February 3)

Wednesday, January 22

Cancelled.  ANC 6B Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force Meeting.  Rescheduled for Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 PM, in Hill Center.

ANC6B Rejects DDOT’s Proposed Four Lane SE Boulevard

Will Launch Campaign To Engage Public Officials

by Larry Janezich

On Tuesday night, ANC6B voted unanimously to reject DDOT’s proposed four lane Southeast Boulevard between Barney Circle and 11^th Street.  The proposal envisioned a broad thoroughfare with parking lots and no connections to the existing street grid other than at its extreme ends.  The Commission fears the proposed four lane Boulevard “would become a virtual freeway, creating an unsafe place for pedestrians and bicyclists.”

The ANC’s action – in the form of a letter to DDOT and other public officials – essentially asks DDOT to go back to the drawing board.  The Commission indicated tentative support for an alternative two way street fully connected to the surrounding traffic grid with a pedestrian and bicycle bridge to help open up surrounding land for recreational and economic uses. The Commission recommended a cautious approach to the re-design of Barney Circle, suggesting that the design take into consideration the effects of any direct road connection to 11^th Street as well as the directing of traffic to arterial streets in a way that protects residential streets from cut through traffic.

The letter was highly critical of any inclusion of a multi-modal parking facility for tour buses and stated the ANC’s belief that the DDOT study suffered from a lack of neighborhood planning and the involvement of other government agencies.

The letter requests a meeting with DDOT to further discuss the proposal.  Commissioner Ivan Frishberg articulated the concern of the full ANC, saying “If DDOT continues to prove itself a sporadic public-engager at best, we need to involve other public figures.”  To that end, the Commission copied the Mayor and City Council members, as well as other planning and development officials.  It was the consensus of the Commission to seek meetings with some of these officials to further press their case.

See related postings here:    http://bit.ly/1b5SMgU,  http://bit.ly/1d9U8ae

Water Damage from Leaks on Upper Floor, East Side of Hine

Water Collects on the North Side of Hine’s East Building

Sheets of Water Flow from the West Side of the East Hine Building

Wet Bricks on the 7th Street Side of Hine’s West Building Show Water Saturation from Inside the Building

DC Water Crew Confirms that a Valve They Thought Was the Hine Water Supply Is Shut

DC Water Crew Uses Listening Device to Determine If a Second Valve Which Might Be a Hine Water Supply Is Shut

Nature Begins Demolition of the Hine Buildings

Burst Water Pipes Cause Major Flooding and Damage

By Larry Janezich

Near record cold temperatures last week apparently began the demolition of the Hine buildings in advance of any development.  Yesterday, neighbors reported water pouring out of the building and collecting outside the building.  Today, water could still be seen dripping from the upper floors in numerous locations and running out from under the doors of both major buildings.

Matt Harris, Eastbanc’s project manager for the Hine development, told CHC that his team was still assessing the exact nature of the problem and would know more once the water to the building had been shut off.  DC Water responded to a call from Stanton/Eastbanc (SEB) yesterday and closed a valve on 7th Street, but that apparently failed to cut the supply as water continued to flow out of the building.

Called back today by Harris, a DC Water crew confirmed that yesterday’s valve had been shut and told CHC that their maps showed the valve as the only water supply for the building.  The crew closed another valve leading from the water main on 7th Street, but as of mid-afternoon today DC Water was unable to say whether they had solved the problem.

Harris said that SEB had requested DC Water to turn off supply to the buildings after SEB took control of the site in July, but either they had failed to do so or their efforts had been incomplete – a distinct possibility, given the reported difficulty the crew today had in determining where the water supply was coming from.

Harris said that his team would have to pump water out of the basement and dry the building out with fans.  Development of mold in the building resulting from the water leak would complicate the developer’s demolition once it begins.  As of now, Harris said they would proceed step by step to determine what is necessary.

The Week Ahead….

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday, January 14

ANC6B meets at 7:00pm at Hill Center for its regular monthly meeting.

Among items on the agenda:

Election of Officers

Planning and Zoning Committee opposition to request for construction at rear of OXXO Cleaners at 405 8^th Street, SE.  (See last two graphs of this posting http://bit.ly/1lBc5q5)

Request for variance to permit operation of coffee shop/café at 1247 E Street, SE (see http://bit.ly/1ghNoLq)

Request to approve historical preservation application for a second story on Barracks Row’s Tandoor Grill at 419 8^th Street.  See previous posting http://bit.ly/1lBc5q5

Hine Community Advisory Committee Update

Letter to District Department of Transportation (DDOT) regarding Barney Circle/SE Boulevard Study

Wednesday, January 15

ANC6A Economic Development & Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm at Sherwood Recreation Center – 640 10^th Street, NE.

Among items on the agenda:

Variance regarding the planned construction of a sports bar at 1362 H Street, NE

Variance to allow renovation and conversion of the former Way of the Cross Church of Christ at 819 D Street, NE, into 30 residential units.  The former church is directly across the street from the former Edmonds School which is currently undergoing transformation to condos.  (See Urban Turf posting here:  http://bit.ly/1iDZ0tT

Variance for construction of a new 8 unit apartment building at 1717 E Street, NE.

Thursday, January 16

PSA 108 meets at 7:00pm at Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Avenue, SE, featuring MPD Lt. Michael Thornton.